Discipleship

A disciple is literally a follower of a leader.  And as Christians, we are all called to be followers of Christ, to be His disciples.  A Christian is a disciple.

Discipleship is not about a course or a program that certain members of a church take, upon completion of which they become "disciples."

Christian discipleship is the process by which disciples grow in the Lord Jesus Christ and are equipped by the Holy Spirit, who resides in our hearts, to overcome the pressures and trials of this present life and become more and more Christlike.  This process requires believers to respond to the Holy Spirit's prompting to examine their thoughts, words and actions and compare them with the Word of God.

Four key characteristics of discipleship that honors God:-

Firstly, God-honoring discipleship is about remaining in Christ - consistently walking in the way of the Lord, which is a teaching given to believers throughout the whole of Scripture.  It demand that true Christians progress and grow as we remain in Christ.

Secondly, God-honoring discipleship is about obeying Christ.  This is what Christ means when He says that His words remain in us.  Further, the Great Commission demands that we strive to obey everything that Christ has commanded.  There can be no discipleship without training.  And training requires obedience to instructions.

Thirdly, God-honoring discipleship is about bearing spiritual fruit.  If a disciple remains in Christ and is a pattern of obedience, that person will bear spiritual fruit.  Such fruit is inevitable as the nature of the fruit and the source of the fruit are both from God.

Finally, God honoring discipleship is about glorifying God in all that is done.  This is, ultimately, the goal of our lives.

[Extracted from Living Life-July 2012 "Honoring God through Discipleship" by Steven Oh]

 

Where Are You in Christ?

There are three stages of relationship in our Christian journey.

a) A man-God relationship started when a man accepts Jesus as his Lord and Saviour.  His eyes are opened to see God and his mind can perceive the Word of God and his will incline to godly life.  He started to delight in learning Christian language and sharing spiritual issues with others.  Then he will start praying to God and read the Bible.  He love God because of his salvation and other blessings. However, when blessing stop and troubles start calling the love toward God becomes cold.  This is the sign of a baby or young Christan.

b) A Christian started father-son relationship when the fear of God become reverent fear instead of awful dread.

This is the stage where the person focus on God's face instead of His hand, upon the 'Blesser' and not the blessing.  He knows God's love and starts to serve God and share with others about His love, not merely His gifts.

c) friendship with God

A man who is in courtship can easily give up everything and die for his beloved lover, but, not necessarily for his friends.  The power of love can make a man die for his loved one.  Likewise when God's beauty captures your heart, you are willing to die and can easily die to yourself.  Loving courtship will eventually bring a person to marriage.  In marriage, both husband and wife can share their resources and die for each other.  It is because there are one. This is the husband-wife relationship

You cannot force yourself to marry God but you can always start by calling God your father and friend and wait for Him to approach you to marry Him.

John 14:20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

Loose lips sink ships!

James 3:4  Or take ships as an example.  Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. (NIV)

James emphasizes our inclination to sin in our speaking.  Our tongue is like the rudder on a ship.  Even though it is a very small part of the ship, but it determines exactly where the ship will go.  Likewise we determine the course of our lives by the way we use our tongues.  (James 3:4)

Derek Prince wrote that we have two potential problems indicated by the mouth :

First, the old, corrupt nature which has not been changed goes on producing corrupt fruit; and second, some kind of spirit, which is not the Holy Spirit, brings forth impure, brackish water.

So the problem of the tongue takes back inevitably to the problem of the heart.

We are confronted by the truth that Solomon spoke in Proverbs 4:23  Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

The mouth is taken as the principal channel by which the issues of life flow out for good or evil. It is a well. If it be full, it flows over; and if the overflow be sweet water, the border will be fresh and green.  [Proverbs 10:11, 14][Proverbs 15:4][Proverbs 18:21]

T   Is it TRUE?

H  Is it HELPFUL?

I    Is it INSPIRING?

N  Is it NECESSARY?

K  Is it KIND?

If what I am about to say does not pass those test, I will keep my mouth shut! - Alan Redpath

A provoked spirit causes us to speak unadvisedly with our lips and these hasty words cost us many privileges and blessing.